


Alley Cats

by Martu



Category: SF9 (Band)
Genre: Gen, This is as gender neutral as I could make it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-29 16:53:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10858152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Martu/pseuds/Martu
Summary: Youngkyun lives for cats; he adores cats, they are his family. So, then, walking through this neighborhood where strays run amok and house cats are most of the time outside observing the strangers go by is everything but a problem.





	Alley Cats

**Author's Note:**

> Crossposted to [sf9scenarios](sf9scenarios.tumblr.com)! Thank you for reading, if you feel like requesting something feel free to drop an ask on the blog.

It would be an understatement to say Youngkyun likes cats.

Youngkyun _lives_ for cats; he _adores_ cats, they are his family. So, then, walking through this neighborhood where strays run amok and house cats are most of the time outside observing the strangers go by is everything but a problem.

It all starts an odd evening after work: almost purple clouds slowly invade the dark pink sky, the eerie feeling of the deserted streets and the slight scent of wet earth weigh on him. He wonders for a moment if it was going to rain, and curses mentally his lack of an umbrella-carrying habit, and picks up his pace. It’s not like they are heavy or anything, and they come in these really tiny cases that make them almost-

A brown cat with a bored expression crosses the alley in front of him, taking him out of his thoughts: it is only now he realizes this is not his usual way home, that in the middle of his kind of deep thoughts about the weather and umbrellas and habit-making he must have turned in the wrong corner. Nevertheless, he decides this is still a good moment to make a new friend.

“Hi there,” he starts, as the cat stares at him with an inquisitive look, neither friendly nor hostile, and he rummages through his bag looking for anything for the pet. “Do you like, uh, crackers?”

And he extends the tiny pieces of treat in his palm, expectantly looking at the animal. The cat looks around for a second, just to then focus on Youngkyun’s hand. She -it’s a she, Youngkyun confirms on his third visit, after she rolls on her back ready to attack another little one, probably out of jealousy. You see, that specific cat had become his favorite, a friend he wouldn’t dare not say hello not even for a day- takes one, two, three steps until her nose is on the crackers, still carefully eyeing the young man, and decides the crackers are worth taking the risk. She lowers her steel eyes and laps up the tiny treat.

“There you go.” Youngkyun extends his other hand, slowly and carefully rubbing behind the cat’s ear. “Aren’t you the cutest little thing ever?”

The brown cat meows softly and so it begins. Youngkyun starts taking the same route every single day, and in the course of a couple weeks he has made over ten new friends: there’s the two black cats, five tabby cats (one with a really trippy kind of spiral pattern in his back that makes Youngkyun chuckle sometimes), two completely white cats and one with a weird, cloudy shape on his back.

However, there is one cat he just can’t seem to befriend.

It’s a black and brown brindled cat, with striking blue eyes and a constant grumpy expression.

He’s tried everything: crackers, cat food, catnip, toys, but this cat just stays constantly away from him even if all his friends are surrounding his hand.

“Why don’t you like me,” he wonders out loud one day, looking at the grumpy pet while petting one of the tabbies.

“He doesn’t like strangers,” a voice comes out of nowhere, echoing through the alley.  Youngkyun jumps back a whole foot, looking around in panic.

“Over here,” the voice speaks again. “Up in the building.” And he looks up to find himself looking at a crooked smile and glimmering eyes who look down at him with curiosity.

“Are you-“ His voice cracks, and the stranger up above chuckles. “Are you the owner?”

“I am,” the stranger answers. “Hugo is a very special cat, he’s not the friendliest of animals.”

There’s a small moment of silence. Youngkyun looks at the tiny pet, who is now also looking up at its owner in that third-floor window.

“Do you, uh,” Youngkyun’s been caught red handed, feeding the strays like a big softie. “Do you always watch people you don’t know through your window.”

“Well, I do if they go out of their way just to befriend my cat. Do you always get that scared at strangers talking to you?”

Youngkyun opens his mouth to retort but quickly closes it, frowning slightly. “Do you think you can come down or something? It’s, uh, kind of awkward to talk like this.”

 “Maybe once you earn Hugo’s trust.” The stranger shrugs. “So, maybe come back tomorrow and try again?”

And with a smile, they close the window. The cat -Hugo, now he knows- climbs up a trashcan and is quickly running up the emergency stairs, reaching the apartment in the third floor in no time.

“What kind of name is Hugo, anyways?” Youngkyun half laughs, half screams in confusion, shakes his head and walks away.

He’s convinced now: he will befriend that cat even if it’s the last thing he does.


End file.
